1 Safatias, filho de Matã, Gedelias, filho de Fassur, Jucal, filho de Selemias, e Fassur, filho de Melquias, ouviram as palavras que Jeremias pronunciara diante de todos.2 Oráculo do Senhor, dizia ele: aquele que ficar na cidade morrerá pela espada, fome e peste, ao passo que o que sair, a fim de se entregar aos caldeus, viverá, e a vida a salvo será seu espólio. E viverá.3 Oráculo do Senhor: a cidade será entregue ao exército do rei de Babilônia, que a tomará de assalto.4 Disseram, então, os chefes ao rei: Seja esse homem eliminado, pois que desencoraja o que resta de guerreiros na cidade em todo o povo, proferindo semelhantes palavras. Não procura ele a salvação do povo mas a sua perdição.5 Respondeu-lhes o rei Sedecias: "Ele está em vossas mãos. O rei nada vos pode recusar.6 Tomaram então Jeremias e, por meio de cordas, o fizeram descer na cisterna de Melquias, o príncipe real, a qual se encontrava no pátio do cárcere. Não havia água na cisterna; havia, porém, lodo, onde Jeremias se atolou.7 Um eunuco etíope do palácio real, chamado Abdemelec, soube, porém, que haviam lançado Jeremias na cisterna. Como estivesse o rei nesse momento assentado à porta de Benjamim,8 saiu ele do palácio para ir encontrá-lo.9 Ó rei, meu Senhor, disse-lhe o eunuco, andaram mal esses homens, tratando assim o profeta Jeremias e lançando-o na cisterna. Morrerá de fome, pois que não há mais pão na cidade.10 Respondeu-lhe então o rei com esta ordem: Leva daqui contigo trinta homens e faze com que retirem o profeta Jeremias da cisterna, antes que morra.11 Abdemelec, tomando então os homens consigo, dirigiu-se ao palácio e ao vestiário da tesouraria e de lá tirou pedaços de estofo e velhos andrajos. E, tomando uma corda, fê-los descer até Jeremias, na cisterna.12 Coloca, disse Abdemelec a Jeremias, estes pedaços de estofo e estes retalhos sob tuas axilas embaixo das cordas. Assim fez o profeta.13 Então, erguendo-o por meio das cordas, retiraram-no para fora da cisterna. E Jeremias ficou no pátio do cárcere.14 Mandou então o rei Sedecias que lhe trouxessem o profeta Jeremias e o conduzissem à terceira porta do templo, e lhe disse: Tenho algo a perguntar-te; nada me ocultes.15 Disse Jeremias ao rei: Se eu te responder, não me mandarás matar? Aliás, se te der um conselho, não me ouvirás.16 Então o rei Sedecias fez em segredo a Jeremias este juramento: Pela vida de Deus que nos deu a vida, não te mandarei matar nem te entregarei aos que odeiam a tua vida!17 E Jeremias disse então a Sedecias: Eis o que diz o Senhor dos exércitos, Deus de Israel: se te entregares aos oficiais do rei de Babilônia, terás a vida salva e a cidade não será queimada. E sobreviverás, assim como tua família.18 Mas, se te não entregares aos oficiais do rei de Babilônia, cairá a cidade nas mãos dos caldeus, os quais a incendiarão. E tu não lhes escaparás.19 Temo os judeus, replicou o rei Sedecias, que já se aliaram aos caldeus, e que me maltratarão se a eles for entregue.20 Tal não acontecerá, retorquiu Jeremias. Escuta, portanto, a voz do Senhor naquilo que te digo: nada te acontecerá e terás a vida salva.21 Mas, se recusares entregar-te, eis {a visão} que o Senhor me mostrou:22 todas as mulheres que ficarem no palácio do rei de Judá serão entregues aos oficiais do rei de Babilônia. E elas dirão: foste enganado, e te subjugaram os teus bons amigos. Desapareceram, enquanto teus pés se atolavam na lama.23 Todas as tuas mulheres e teus filhos serão entregues aos caldeus. E tu não lhes escaparás. Serás feito prisioneiro pelo rei de Babilônia e a cidade será entregue às chamas!24 Disse, então, Sedecias e Jeremias: Que ninguém saiba do que falamos, senão poderás morrer.25 Se souberem os ministros que tivemos esta entrevista, se te vierem procurar a fim de perguntar-te, sob ameaça de morte, tudo quanto te disse o rei, sem nada ocultar,26 dir-lhes-ás: fui suplicar ao rei que não fosse reconduzido à casa de Jonatã, onde encontraria a morte.27 Com efeito, todos os ministros foram interrogá-lo, tendo-lhes respondido o profeta exatamente como lhe ordenara o rei. Deixaram-no então tranqüilo, porquanto nada transpirou da conversa havida.28 Assim passou Jeremias a habitar o pátio do cárcere, até o dia da tomada de Jerusalém. De fato, lá estava ele quando foi expugnada Jerusalém...

1 And Shephatyah the son of Matthan, and Gedalyahu the son of Pashchur, and Juchal the son of Shelemyahu, and Pashchur the son of Malkiyah, heard the words that Jeremiah was speaking unto all the people, saying,2 Thus hath said the Lord, He that remaineth in this city shall die by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence; but he that goeth forth to the Chaldeans shall live; and he shall have his life as a booty, and shall live.3 Thus hath said the Lord, This city shall surely be given up into the hand of the army of the king of Babylon, and he shall capture it.4 Thereupon said the princes unto the king, We beseech thee, let this man be put to death; for the cause that he weakeneth the hands of the men of war that are yet left in this city, and the hands of all the people, by speaking such words unto them; for this man seeketh not the welfare of this people, but their hurt.5 Then said king Zedekiah, Behold, he is in your hand; for the king is not able to do any thing against you.6 Then did they take Jeremiah, and cast him into the pit of Malkiyahu the son of the king, that was in the court of the prison: and they let Jeremiah down with cords; but in the pit there was no water, but mire; so that Jeremiah sunk into the mire.7 Now when ‘Ebed–melech the Cushi, a eunuch who was in the king’s house, heard that they had placed Jeremiah into the pit; while the king was sitting in the gate of Benjamin:8 ‘Ebed–melech went forth out of the king’s house, and spoke to the king, saying,9 My lord, O king, these men have done wrong in all that they have done to Jeremiah the prophet, whom they have cast into the pit; and he would have had to die as it is in the place where he was for hunger; for there is no more bread in the city.10 The king then commanded ‘Ebed–melech the Cushi, saying, Take with thee from here thirty men, and bring up Jeremiah the prophet out of the pit, before he die.11 So ‘Ebed–melech took the men with him, and went into the house of the king under the treasury, and took thence cast–off clothes and old rags, and let them down into the pit to Jeremiah by cords.12 And Ebed–melech the Cushi said unto Jeremiah, Put, I pray, these cast–off clothes and old rags under thy arm–pits beneath the cords. And Jeremiah did so.13 So they drew up Jeremiah with cords, and brought him up out of the pit: and Jeremiah remained in the court of the prison.14 Then sent king Zedekiah, and took Jeremiah the prophet unto him into the third entry that was in the house of the Lord; and the king said unto Jeremiah, I will ask thee something: conceal nothing from me.15 Then said Jeremiah unto Zedekiah, If I should tell it unto thee, behold, thou wilt surely put me to death; and if I should give thee counsel, thou wilt not hearken unto me.16 So king Zedekiah swore unto Jeremiah secretly, saying, As the Lord liveth, who hath made for us this soul, I will not put thee to death, nor will I give thee up into the hand of these men that seek thy life.17 Then said Jeremiah unto Zedekiah, Thus hath said the Lord, the God of hosts, the God of Israel, If thou wilt indeed go forth unto the princes of the king of Babylon, then shall thy soul live, and this city shall not be burnt with fire; and thou shalt live, thou with thy household;18 But if thou wilt not go forth to the princes of the king of Babylon, then shall this city be given up into the hand of the Chaldeans, and they shall burn it with fire, and thou thyself shalt not escape out of their hand.19 Then said king Zedekiah unto Jeremiah, I am in dread of the Jews that have run away to the Chaldeans, lest these deliver me into their hand, and they might ill–use me.20 But Jeremiah said, They will not give thee up. Obey, I beseech thee, the voice of the Lord, in that which I speak unto thee; so it shall be well unto thee, and thy soul shall live.21 But if thou refuse to go forth, this is the word that the Lord hath shown me:22 And behold, all the women that are left in the house of the king of Judah shall be led forth to the princes of the king of Babylon; and these women shall say, "They have enticed, and have overpersuaded thee––thy men that should have sought thy welfare; thy feet are now sunk in the mire, and they have withdrawn themselves backward."23 And all thy wives and thy children shall they bring out to the Chaldeans; and thou thyself shalt not escape out of their hand; for by the hand of the king of Babylon shalt thou be caught; and this city wilt thou cause to be burnt with fire.24 Then said Zedekiah unto Jeremiah, Let no man know of these words, that thou mayest not die.25 And if the princes should hear that I have spoken with thee, and they come unto thee, and say unto thee, tell us, we pray thee, what thou hast spoken unto the king, conceal it not from us, and we will not put thee to death; also what the king hath spoken unto thee:26 Then shalt thou say unto them, I presented my humble supplication before the king, that he would not send me back to the house of Jonathan, to die there.27 And all the princes came unto Jeremiah, and asked him: and he told them in accordance with all these words that the king had commanded. And they turned away silent from him; for the matter had not been made public.28 And Jeremiah remained in the court of the prison until the day that Jerusalem was taken. And it came to pass when Jerusalem was captured,